Improvement in hats



STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. HOPKINS, CHARLES H. REID, GEORGE N. RAYMOND, AND JOHN S. MEEKER, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN HATS.

To all. 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, CHARLES A. HOPKINS, CHARLES H. REID, GEORGE N. RAYMOND, and JOHN S. 'MEEKErQ all of Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful .Improvement in Hats, and we do hereby declare that the following, is a full, clear, and eXact description ofthe same, rei erencc beingl had to the accoimianying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing our improvement applied. Fig. 2 is an elevation, showing the form in which we prefer to construct the same. Fig. 3 isa vertical crosssection, showing the iniention in position.

This invention relates to an improvement-in hats, whereby the saine are made elastic and flexible to the head, so that they are capable of readily conforming, to the shape ofthe head, but also to a certain degree elastic to conform to the size of the head; and it consists in an elastic medium interposed between the sweat-leather and the body of the hat.

Every man has experienced the difficulty of procuring a hat perfectlyY fitted to the shape ofthe head, and the discomfort of a hat a trifle too loose or too tight. This invention removes the greater part of all these annoyances, and renders the hat at once conformable to the shape ofthe head, and enables it to enlarge a little, so as to adapt itself' to the size of the head without discomfort.

In Figure 1 is represented a hat provided with an elastic medium formed of a series of li ght wire springs, a a, interposed between the sweatleather b and the body A of the hat. The springs a ay may be formed of a continuous wire folded back and forth, as shown in Fig. 2, and each alternate fold bent forward a little, so that they will form projecting and elastic points a a, Fig. 2, to support the sweatleather B, as shown in Fie. 3, while the remaining folds c c rest atwise against the body A and are secured thereto by stitches, as shown, or otherwise, as may be Imost desirable. The springs a are continuous around the entire circumference of the hat, so that at all points of its contact with the head aileXible and elastic surface may be presented. The elastic medium may be constructed in various ways, and of other materials than wire, as, for instance, sheet metal cut in the form of tongues, a, part of which shall form the springs aY or it may consist of India rubber in various forms, Ste., without departing ii'oin the gist and purpose of this invention.

We are aware that a continuous helical sliring has been placed around the inner surfare of a hat, and between the body and sweatleather thereof, for the purpose of forming a Ventilating cushion, and we therefore make no claim to that device; but

Having,l described our invention, what we claim as new is- Th'e series of springs a, substantially as described, formed of successive loops, a portion of which is secured to the body of the hat, and the remainder of which projects to form an elastic cushion for the sweat-leather` b.

CHAS. A. HOPKINS.

CHARLES H. REID.

GEORGE N. RAYMOND. JOHN S. MEEKER. Witnesses W. F. PARDEE, DAVID B. BOOTH. 

